Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-01-08
KILLERS DILEMMA.
THE ENGINEER OF THE FsTED BAL
TIMORE & OHIO TRAIN

Says He'll BE Condemned If He Goes Be
fore the Coroner-And He Will Probably |
Be Condemned If He Don't-Strong |
Testimony Showing That His Drunken |
ness Caused the Frightful Disaster.
TIFFrN, OHIO, Jan. S--The inquest on the |
bodies of the victims of the horrible disaster |
on the Baltimore &, Ohio was begun at Q
o'clock Friday in the city hall This large |
room, capable of seating 1000, was tested
to its fullest capacity, standing room being
at premium The case for the state is be-
ing conducted by Coroner Lepper, assisted
by Prosecutor T. NJ Adams Seventeen
| witnesses have been summoned to appear,
all of whom are here with the exception OF
Engineer Killer, of the freight, who stated
| Thursday night that he would ''be id" If
he came near the inquest.
| Lynn Fletcher, conductor of the freight
train, testified first as follows: Started from
Garrett, Ind, Ibis homel Jan. g.,
| at $40 a. m, with trainmanned
by Ed Killer, engineer; W. J.
| Cullison, fireman; Charles Snyder and P. J.
Hayes, brakemeu. Received no orders in
reference TO limited passenger west bound.
Did not learn at Tiffin where No 5 was and
did not know where it was Knew its time
for points east of Tiffiu. Stopped twenty
five minues in Tifffn. Don't know If any in
toxicants were got there Was none on
board Engineer drank at Bloomdae and
Fostoria, two drinks of whisky at each place.
Didn't know he was in the habit of getting
drunk. Can't tell whether he was drunk
then or not. Stopped at Seneca, three and
one half miles east, and side tracked to let
east bound pass 1t was four miles from
there to scene of collision, upgrade, showing
and blowing When one and half miles
east went to engine and told engineer to
hurry and get to Republic; it was then 30
a. m. No was due at Republic at 9 a. m,
which left us thirty minutes TO make three
and a half miles. Found sixty pounds of steam
on Engineer said nothing. Took red and
white light and went ahead, and saw No. 5
coming before | had gone ten car lengths;
ran as hard as could and signaled express
was no yards from me when | signaled and
, the engineer shut off steam and jumped off
! OF engine. Ny engineer had paid no atten-
ton when said No. 5 was coming Ii is the
engineers duty to send out fiagmau when
steam gives out. He could have done this
and stopped No. easily. He could have
backed down and been all right. He gave
me no notice of steam giving out. He had
time-card and watch. Had be done his duty
under the rules he would have prevented
a this collision The only reason can give is
: neglect The engineer acted like a man
who had too much whisky. Had my en-
!, gineer reversed bis engine the wreck would
not have been near as bad. Our engine was
: in running order up to the time of the wreck.
| The engineer did not seem to care for any
: thing when ] went to the engine. We agreed
" at Seneca siding that We could make the
run. The boiler was nearly dry when be
i shut off his engine Did not give engineer
j. any orders when | jumped off to give the
. signal He acted like man with too much
!, | whisky who had sat down by the fire. When
"a we left Carrot be was lively, at Seneca dull
l. | and indifferent. Three men we're on the en-
"a | gine the engineer, fireman and brakeman
a SNYDER Think the fireman did the best h
n could
At W. J. Cullison the fireman, testified sub
stantially corroborating the evidence o
p Fletcher as to the condition of the engineer
, He seemed to be perfectly indifferent TO con
n sequences; permitted the water to run dow
in the boiler TO one gauge just before the col
NJ lision, when he should have had three gauges
n When he jumped off he shut off the stean
"a hut did not reverse If be had done this
could have prevented the collision, as Their
was enough steam to start the train back
ward on the down-grade and give the al
lie brakes on the passenger train time to OF
n rate.
Y Charles Snyder, the brakeman, gave sin
10 liar testimony, fully, so far, fixing the RI
n sponsibility for the terrible disaster upo'
c. Killer, the engineer.
he The conductor of the passenger train swor
or that there were fourteen or fifteen passenger
a in the burned car, of whom be had seen fy
alive since the accident His tickets were
the baggage car and We're destroyed by I'll
| fire